Tarot Card Meanings — All 78 Cards
The complete Tarot guide. 22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana, every card with upright and reversed meanings, keywords and interpretation. Search any card by name or keyword — or click a card to read its full message.
How to read the Tarot deck
A Tarot deck has 78 cards divided into two groups. The Major Arcana (22 cards) describes major life themes and archetypal lessons — when one appears, the reading is about a core chapter of your journey. The Minor Arcana (56 cards) handles day-to-day situations through four suits, each tied to an element:
Wands (fire) cover passion, creativity and drive. Cups (water) handle emotions, love and intuition. Swords (air) govern thought, communication and conflict. Pentacles (earth) deal with money, work and the body.
Upright vs reversed meanings
A card that lands upright reads in its primary voice — the energy is flowing outward, available to work with. A reversed card usually means the same energy is blocked, excessive, internalised or just emerging. Reversed isn't automatically "bad" — it often just asks you to look deeper, inward, or at the shadow side of the theme.
Using this guide
Click any card above to read its full meaning. Use the search to find a specific card. Filter by arcana or suit to study systematically. When a card comes up in your reading, check the upright and reversed meanings, pick whichever matches the orientation in your draw, then sit quietly with the card and notice what image or phrase resonates most. That part of the meaning is the message for you.
Frequently asked questions
See also
Card
References & further reading
- Wikipedia — Tarot — Encyclopedic overview of the deck's history, from 15th-century Italian card games to modern divinatory use.
- Britannica — Tarot — Scholarly entry on the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition and the structure of Major vs Minor Arcana.
- Wikipedia — Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot — Background on the most widely used Tarot deck (1909), which shapes most card meanings in modern readings.
The story behind the Rider-Waite imagery
When I first began reading tarot, I was drawn to the Rider-Waite deck because of its detailed pictures. Each card tells a story, and those stories come from a specific tradition. The deck was created in 1909 by Arthur Edward Waite, a British occultist, and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, an artist and member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Waite wanted a deck that showed symbolic scenes rather than just pips or numbers, so that even a beginner could look at a card and sense its meaning. For example, the Fool shows a young man about to step off a cliff, a small dog at his heels. In folklore, this image warns against reckless action but also celebrates the courage to begin a journey. The Star shows a woman pouring water onto land and into a pool, which in traditional symbolism represents hope and healing. Many of the symbols come from alchemy, astrology, and medieval mysticism. Understanding this background helps you see why certain cards carry specific meanings. I often tell my clients to study the images closely before reading the book meanings. The pictures themselves hold layers of wisdom passed down through generations.
How numerology shapes each card's meaning
Beyond the images, each tarot card is connected to a number, and that number carries its own energy in Western occult tradition. In the Minor Arcana, the numbers 1 through 10 appear in each suit, and the Major Arcana uses numbers 0 through 21. For instance, the number 1 represents beginnings, individuality, and raw potential. So the Ace of Wands is a spark of inspiration, while the Ace of Cups is the start of love or emotion. The number 2 stands for duality, balance, and choice. The Two of Swords shows a blindfolded woman holding two crossed swords, indicating a difficult decision or a need to see both sides. The number 3 is about growth and creativity. The Three of Pentacles depicts a craftsman working with two others, symbolizing teamwork and skill-building. In the Major Arcana, the number 7 appears in the Chariot, which is about willpower and victory through control. I have found that when a card's number repeats in a reading, the numerological theme becomes even stronger. For example, drawing multiple twos suggests a period of choices or partnerships. By learning the basic numerology of 1 through 10, you can add another layer to your interpretations without memorizing every card separately.
